Cody O'Neill and The Crosswind is a Red Dirt Colossus straddling the Red River with one cowboy boot-clad foot in Faxon and the other in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Texan O'Neill teamed up with Okie band The Crosswind in 2011, blending a musical alchemy of Southern Rock and Country that culminated in the new band's debut album "Trainwreck," late last year.
Ever since, Cody O'Neill and The Crosswind have been impressing listeners with their hard-driving sound and high-energy shows.
"We're just a train," O'Neill said. "It's been rolling and we're kickin' a** and takin' names."
O'Neill is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the band, in addition to playing electric guitar. But he's quick to point out it's a team effort. The band may be called Cody O'Neill and The Crosswind, but keyboardist Dennis Chavez, lead guitarist Shane McClennen, drummer Brandon Hudson and bassist Raetzsch Shaw are partners with O'Neill, not his backup band.
O'Neill said he grew up around the music scene in The Falls, where his daddy was a blues musician, so that sound influenced him a great deal.
He said he writes songs, including the 17 original tracks on "Trainwreck" from real life situations he observes. Sometimes he writes songs from his own perspective and sometimes from the perspectives of others.
O'Neill said he was in a tight situation in his life when the band started working on "Trainwreck," which was the reason for the album's title. Things have gotten better since.
Tuesday May 21st, 2013 • 3:30:44am
